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Stop Wasting Weekends Presents:

Outdoor Adventure Journal Challenge! – Day Two

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What is an Outdoor Adventure Journal?

Before we gets started on the journaling supplies you are going to need, did you take time to read WHY you need to create an Outdoor Adventure Journal? It’s an awesome and funny read, and will help you understand why an Outdoor Adventure Journal is so much more than a field notebook or a bullet journal!

The short version is that I created something that I hadn’t seen anywhere before. It’s not exactly a field notebook, and it’s not exactly a bullet journal.  It’s something really UNIQUE.  And, sharing it with you, makes me hope that it will become something that you learn to love, and grows with you as well!

We live in a fast paced, technologically driven world.  Facebook, Text Messages, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest……our attention is constantly being lured into these distractions that leave us with little peace, comfort, and satisfaction.   Many people turn to nature for rest, relaxation, and reflection.  However, given our modern world, most people who consider hiking (or camping) find the silence a bit overwhelming at times, and the lack of distraction, uncomfortable.

Instead of feeling discouraged at these emotions, I’ve created a SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW! A new idea that combines several different forms of rest, relaxation, and reflection into one unique place – the Outdoor Adventure Journal.

I’m going to go ahead and assume you’ve read all about it here, and now we can get started buying the fun journaling supplies!

The Basics of Journaling Supplies

First off, let’s be honest.  All you truly, truly need is some paper and a pencil and/or pen.  But my guess is that because you are here, you are wanting to know not just what journaling supplies are available, but what journaling supplies are crazy, banana-pants, awesome.  Done and done.  Sit back, and relax, because all the work has been done for you.  (Well, not all the journaling work – you’ll have to do that yourself! – but the supply searching is done!)

Journaling can be considered a craft, and therefore, the people who do journaling can kinda, sorta, go nuts over supplies!  Think scrapbookers with their paper.  Or knitters with their yarn.  Journalers can be just as obsessive about their journaling supplies!

At the end of the day, the best journaling supplies will be the ones that YOU love to use, and that you use the MOST.   My assumption to start will be that you have never done any bullet journaling, nature sketching, or planning so that you can learn what the basics are, and then how to start hoarding journaling supples.  Ummm….I mean, rationally and logically increase your journling tools!

Journaling Supplies You NEED

A Journal (I know, right?  But let’s start at the start!)

This is by far the most important item you will choose.   If you don’t LOVE LOVE LOVE your journal notebook, then you won’t be motivated to use it.

Journal Pages

You have four types of page choices when you are looking at journals – plain pages, lines (like a notebook), graph pages, and dotted pages.  Let’s look at the benefits and drawbacks of all of these:

• Plain pages – Plain pages are fantastic for drawing and making creative designs!  They are literally the “blank slate” you need to start a journal.  However, you will become very close friends with your ruler, and even with a ruler, you have to really make sure those lines are straight and parallel, if you want your pages to look pretty!  If you go for more of a design and sketch/paint route, this option might be more for you!
• Lined pages – This is your simple, average, every day notebook.  To get started, you just need a spiral notebook to be honest!  Anything can be a journal that has pages!  This will make it easy to write things down, if you want to journal your thoughts, feelings, or meditate on Bible verses, etc.  However, journals with lined pages are more difficult to draw/sketch/paint on.  So, again it really depends on what your main purpose is!
• Graph pages – This type of a journal is great for both drawing and writing.  The graphed pages allow you to use a ruler, but not work nearly as hard to do so if you want to make weekly or monthly pages that need charts, graphs, boxes, etc.  However, the boxes can be a bit distracting if you are sketching or painting, but this is a personal preference
• Dotted pages – These pages are the preferred pages for journals.  They are my personal favorite as well.  The dots are small enough that you can still sketch and paint, but make it still very simple to use a ruler to make graphs, charts, boxes, and weekly/monthly planner pages!  Ultimately, this is the type of planner that most people go with, and the one that would be best suited for an Outdoor Adventure Journal for sure!

Journal Covers and Binding

Journals can be either hard cover or soft cover.  This is a personal preference as well.  I prefer the hard cover, only because softer covers (depending on how soft) can get bent, and I travel with them frequently!

There are also many types of binding that a journal can have.

• Flat bound – These journals are bound together and (hopefully!) lay flat as you use them
• Bendable covers – These journals allow you to bend the entire cover and some pages behind the one you are working on.  This is useful if you do a large amount of sketching.
• Sprial bound covers – Many people love this type of binding because it allows the user to bend the cover completely back, so that full access can be given to the page you are working on!

I’m a fan of all of these.  The flat bound ones look the nicest, and I think most elegant, and those are my preference.

Recommended JournalsHands down, the most popular journal is the Leuchtturm1917 Medium Size Hardcover A5 Notebook. This journal/notebook has numbered pages and a blank table of contents for easy organization and notes, it is thread-bound and opens flat, and has acid-free and ink proof paper, an expandable pocket inside back cover, a page marker and an elastic closure, with 249 pages!  This is the ultimate journal, and most frequently cited as the go-to notebook for journaling. (Plus, its inexpensive!)

With more 5 star reviews than almost any other journal, the Bullet Planner by Scribbles That Matter  is another famous journal that many people use and swear by.  The quality of this dotted page journal is amazing, and this is unique because it has pre-printed weekly, monthly, and yearly spreads that can help you get more organized if that is your jam!

This Spiral Dotted Journal has a bit of a hard cover that is see through, allowing you to create whatever you want on the cover!  Many people prefer the spiral binding, and this hardcover journal is also made with sturdy metal double spiral binding (perfect as a holder for pens and pencils) and a white hard plastic cover to keep your journal safe. They also include an elastic closure to keep your notebook fastened even when it is jostled around in a backpack or purse. Its expert binding allows the book to lie flat on any surface and remain open, which is extremely useful!  The cool thing about this journal is that it has a 100% LIFETIME GUARANTEE! They say that they know you’ll love the expertly made lined notebook, and they have so much faith in the high-quality materials and manufacturing that they offer a 100% lifetime guarantee. This also includes a 100% money-back guarantee! 

There are some other alternatives that are also just as good as the others, and are slightly less expensive!  This Black Classic Dotted Journal Notebook with a hard cover gets fantastic reviews, and are a great way to start!  This A5 size classic notebook with 144 dot grid pages (72 sheets) is perfect for handwriting, journal, planner calendar, note taking, lists, memo, musings, and more, and has a very strong binding.  It also has a satisfaction guarantee!

Finally, my recommendation is for this inexpensive Dotted Bullet Grid Journal, which has 4 index pages, and 124 numbered pages! The elastic closure of this dotted journal keeps it securely closed + You can make a better mark with 2 bookmarks + Free label sticker + Opens flat + Inner pocket, it’s convenient for you to pack business cards and stickers – 5.25″ x 8.25″!!!  Its crazy super cute, and I love that the pages are already numbered! 

Journaling Pens

Friends, we could seriously go down a rabbit hole, here!  There are amazing markers, paint pens, highlighters, and plain writing pens that could take volumes to write about!  But, let me give you what you really need, and will use the most!  

These Micron pens are the final word in journaling.  They are amazing.  AMAZING.  They won’t bleed through pages, and give you the precision you need whether you are sketching, journaling, or drawing.  They are simply. THE. BEST. They use archival quality ink for use in acid-free environments, and they are water-based & quick drying on porous surfaces.  They are waterproof, fade resistant, have no smears, feathers or bleed-through on most papers!  And, they are inexpensive.  They are seriously, the best pens, ever.  You can also get them in different colors! (See below!)

But before I go any further…..I will say you do NOT want to use any Sharpies – either the fat ones OR the thin ones.  They bleed through everything.  They simply are not good for bullet journaling, so go ahead and skip those.

If you want pens in different colors (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?) I have three favorites:

For thinner lines, my favorite go to pen is the Micron set – but colored.   I swear by all of these.  They are simply amazing.  These Pigma Micron pens are acid-free and archival, making them ideal for papercrafts, journals, illustration, crafts, or any application requiring precision and permanance.  And, unlike dye-based ink found in most pens and markers, Pigma ink will not feather or bleed, even through the thinnest paper. Pigma ink is derived from a single pigment to ensure color consistency, and is fadeproof against sunlight or UV light. Pigma inks will not clog or dry out like most mechanical pens, and they are just simply fantastic for any type of journal.  It’s really a must have in your journaling supplies.

Other pens that I love are the Paper Mate Ink Joy pens.  I’ll admit I use these to write with on a daily basis, even for work!  I love them!  They have a smooth gel ink that flows easily, come in crazy cute colors, and spreads ink beautifully.  I have loved these for a long time, and they are inexpensive as well!Finally, for colored pens, I’ll give you the option of the Paper Mate Flair Pens.  These are felt tip pens, and will bleed a bit more than the Mircon or the Ink Joy above, so you should probably be working with a better quality journal with a bit thicker paper, if you want to use these.  But the colors! Oh, the colors! They say that they won’t bleed through paper, but again that really depends on the paper you are using.  They are something between a pen and a marker, and are absolutely awesome to use.  I love them (and I use them for work too!)

The final word in journaling supplies for beautiful hand lettering and calligraphy is the brand Tombow.  You can’t ever go wrong buying anything that says Tombow on it, and that’s my statement and I’m stickin’ to it.  To get started with hand lettering, get this Tombow brush pen set.  It will be worth the very few dollars you spend, I promise. It contains both the hard and soft tip set, so you can practice your gorgeous lettering!

For just a slight bit of an edge with hand lettering, consider adding this Tombow set to your journaling supplies!  This includes really everything you need to start handletting, which is two Dual Brush Pens, Fudenosuke Calligraphy Pen, MONO Twin Permanent Marker, MONO Drawing Pencil and MONO Eraser, and a pamphlet with helpful tips to get started!Friends. Brace yourselves. This next item is not inexpensive, but oh, they are so, so pretty.  This set of 96 (**96, friends!**) Tombow markers is what you ask for from Santa if you have been a good girl all year (because they are on the spendy side, but oh, so worth it!) They have a wide bendable tip on one end, and a thin tip on the other.  If you don’t believe me how amazing they are, just check out this video, and you will drool. 🙂

Additional Journaling Supplies

A ruler is ESSENTIAL.  You WILL need it.  Repeat.  You will need it.  This will help you magically connect the dots, both literally and figuratively in your journal!  I prefer the smaller ones (6″ or less) so that you can easily carry them and then move them around the journal with ease.  Seriously though, you will need this. Did I mention, you need this? Ok, just checking 🙂

You’ll likely need some sort of stencil for circles, and pretty wavy lines….to make things, well, pretty. This Hestya 9 Pieces Drawings Templates Measuring Geometric Ruler is really a great deal for all that you get.  No need to worry if you get your circles, bars, or wavy lines correct with this.  (Plus, it has the Star Trek symbol, which I’m sure you will be using all the time, right?)

You will likely need these because, we don’t get it all perfect on the first try! These BIC Xtra-Life Mechanical Pencil, Medium Point (0.7 mm), allow you to make mistakes, and not need to even bring a pencil sharpener with you!We all make mistakes, right?  Well, long gone are the days of white out.  There is correction tape now, that easily glides over those errors, making them disappear from the page (and your memory!)

For those of you more creative types, this set of paints is amazing, and you can take this with you as you create your Outdoor Adventure Journal! It’s inexpensive and so easy to travel with! This Sakura XNCW-30N Koi Field 30 Assorted Watercolors with Brush Sketch Set has a small, sleek design that fits into jacket pockets & backpacks, perfect for painting on-the-go! It has half pan watercolors, formulated to blend easily and create and endless range of colors, and a refillable koi water brush to transport and store water!  Perfect for capturing those mountains, trees, and rivers!

Many times you want to write over dark lettering, washi tape, or paint.  This Molotow One4All Acrylic Paint Markers in white does just that!  It’s pretty much a miracle, and totally awesome.

These super colorful index tabs can come in really handy for the sides of your Outdoor Adventure Journal, for the sections that you visit the most often!  They are colorful and practical: 10 different colorful index tabs can help you find and locate information quickly!  They are made of high quality material: the tabs made of high quality PET material, non-toxic and no odor!  (Yah, I’m not really sure why they say they have no odor, either…..I wonder how that came up in the meeting to promote this product….Hey, Bob!  These tabs also have NO ODOR! Sorry, but I couldn’t help myself.  Seriously, how is this a selling point?  I would HOPE that they have no odor!!!)  Be that as it may, they are super helpful!

Fun sticky notes are a must.  They are fantastic to have for reminders, and for small things you may want to include later, but then decide not to!  And seriously, who can’t use more sticky notes?

Binder clips are super handy to have.  They keep your place for you.  Enough said. This is the pack I like because you get so many different sizes! AUSTOR 100 pcs Binder Clips Paper Clamp Clips Assorted 6 Sizes!

And finally, let me introduce you to your next addiction – Washi Tape.  While the above pack is a starter set, and comes in the basic colors, I’ll show you in a moment how amazing this stuff can be.  Washi tape is a thin tape that is used to highlight an area, and can also be used for decoration.  So simple, and so addictive.  It can be used for labeling, decoration, pretty much anything.  And once you start using it – you just can’t stop.  So, like I said – welcome to your new addiction….like these coming up….click on any of them to be taken directly to where you can purchase this amazing awesomeness……

And because you will become addicted…..you will need this:That’s right.  It’s a Washi tape dispenser, Roll tape holder.  For the serious journaler!

Sometimes seeing is believing.  Here is a quick video of some of the journaling supplies I mentioned above!

Summary

So there you have it!  Everything you need to get your Outdoor Adventure Journal started in the best way!  If you look below, you can see what Amazon’s prices are, and frankly, most of the things I chose for you are really inexpensive!  (Well, except for the 92 set of Tombow markers, but those are so dreamy!!!) Like most things, this can be as inexpensive or expensive of a hobby as you wish!

Next up, How to START your Outdoor Adventure Journal!  This is where the rubber hits the road, and the fun begins!  I can’t wait for you to join me there!

If you want even more resources down the line, we have it here!  And if you want EVEN MORE creative ideas for your Outdoor Adventure Journal we have that as well! 

Adieu for now!